cell phones

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Report Revives Fears of Cell Phone-Tumor Link

Industry is downplaying cancer risks, charges group

(Newser) - A new report charges that health organizations and the cell phone industry are downplaying clear links between cell phone use and brain cancer, reports the Los Angeles Times.  The latest research shows that cell phone use significantly increases the risk of some kind of tumors, and that young people...

Bye-Bye Landlines, Hello New Problem
 Bye-Bye Landlines, 
 Hello New Problem 
analysis
Aug 15, 2009 7:44 AM CDT

Bye-Bye Landlines, Hello New Problem

(Newser) - Americans are gleefully dropping landlines at a rate of 700,000 per month without any regard for the long-term consequences, the Economist says. Few of us will weep for businesses that rely on landlines—telemarketers and pollsters come to mind—but emergency services like fire and police also need them....

Woman Gets PhD in Texting
 Woman Gets PhD in Texting 
Aug 6, 2009 7:57 PM CDT

Woman Gets PhD in Texting

Philosophy thesis is first on text message communication

(Newser) - A British graduate student has earned a PhD in texting—an academic first, Discover magazine reports. Caroline Tagg’s doctorate, more specifically, is in the philosophy of texting communication. Tagg studied 11,000 texts from 235 people over four years. Among the findings: The average text is 17.5 words,...

Twitter Plans Japanese Cell Phone Site

(Newser) - Twitter is planning to launch a service aimed at Japanese cell phone users, Marketwatch reports. The new site will be specifically designed for easy mobile access and browsing via handsets. Twitter and its Japanese partner, Digital Garage, are expected to approach Japanese mobile operators to support the site, according to...

Paris 'Haunted' by Sex Tape
 Paris 'Haunted' by Sex Tape 
Jul 30, 2009 4:35 AM CDT

Paris 'Haunted' by Sex Tape

(Newser) - Who knew? The apparently always-bored Paris Hilton is still deeply upset about a sex tape of her recorded by a former boyfriend, according to an MTV documentary about the professional camera hog. "It's something that haunts me to this day," said the socialite. "It's embarrassing." On...

Texting Boosts Driver Crash Risk 23 Times

Texting while driving found to be deadliest distraction

(Newser) - A first-of-its-kind study has found that sending and receiving text messages is the deadliest distraction for drivers by far, the New York Times reports. The study, which involved cameras in the cabs of long-haul trucks, found that texting raised a driver's risk of collision a whopping 23 times, putting it...

Barcode of Future Is Tiny, Shiny

MIT researchers design an alternative with 'Bokodes'

(Newser) - MIT researchers have designed a possible replacement for the conventional barcode, the BBC reports. Called Bokodes, the tags are made up of a powered light-emitting diode, a mask and a lens, and can store much more information than the black-and-white stripe variety. More, the scientists say, the Bokodes can be...

Hello, Senators? Greedy Cell Phone Biz Needs Attention

(Newser) - It's nice to see Congress looking out for the cell phone customer with hearings on carrier exclusivity, but there's plenty of dubious practices in the business they should look into before they worry about getting us all Verizon iPhones, David Pogue writes in the New York Times. 
  • Texting fees.
...

Gadget Turns Phone Into Microscope

CellScope could help curb outbreaks of disease in developing world

(Newser) - A new gadget could mean big improvements for health care in the developing world. Called the CellScope, the device attaches to any cell phone with a camera, turning it into a microscope, Science Blogs reports. Invented by researchers at UC Berkeley, the CellScope also features an LED that can detect...

US Squelched Data on Car Phone Danger

(Newser) - In 2003 a federal agency compiled hundreds of pages of research on the dangers of using cell phones while driving, but suppressed the findings because of pressure from Congress. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a part of the Transportation Department, also planned a long-term study of the risks of...

Why Don't We Have Cool Japanese Cell Phones?

Makers stifled by hardware too advanced to leave country

(Newser) - Able to surf the internet, stand in for credit cards, and check body fat, Japan’s smartphones make ours look primitive—yet we’re sticking with what we have. That’s because Japan’s phone makers have been “a little too clever,” writes Hiroko Tabuchi in the New ...

Pols, Drivers Dial Up Cell Phone Danger

It's just as bad as drunk driving, and millions do it

(Newser) - Driving while talking on the phone—regardless of whether you're using a hands-free device—impairs your attention and reflexes as much as a blood alcohol content of .08, according to studies. With 81% of drivers admitting to gabbing in traffic, it might seem that stricter laws are inevitable, writes the...

Bathroom Is for Texting, Not Talking: Pitt
 Bathroom Is 
 for Texting, 
 Not Talking: Pitt 
celebrity advice
Jul 16, 2009 10:33 AM CDT

Bathroom Is for Texting, Not Talking: Pitt

Brad doles out etiquette tips for the Internet age

(Newser) - The times, they are a-changin’—and that calls for new rules of etiquette. To help out, Brad Pitt addresses issues ranging from inter-Rock Band dynamics to texting in the bathroom for Wired:
  • Problem: Your Rock Band bassist sucks. Solution: “Fire his ass. Bonus: It'll put the others on
...

iPhone Too Dainty? Rugged Competitors Can Take Beating

New offerings can be used as hammers, soaked, dropped

(Newser) - The iPhone might be pretty, but it’s probably best not to use it as a hammer. If you’re looking for a phone that can handle such treatment—and can be thrown, showered with, or plunged into beer—your best bet may be one of the rugged models from...

Voicemail Is So Over
 Voicemail Is So Over 
Jul 9, 2009 1:14 PM CDT

Voicemail Is So Over

System too slow in faster-paced world

(Newser) - After some 25 years of popularity, voicemail has become merely an annoyance for many, the Boston Globe reports. "What I really hate are the soliloquies," says a time-crunched user. But the long-winded are only part of the problem, experts say; the real culprit is the rise of texting....

Japan's Mobile Network Buckles Under Porn Demand

(Newser) - Japan's mammoth 3G wireless network is beginning to buckle as users download world-record amounts of porn, Bloomberg reports. Mobile carriers have been forced to restrict the heaviest users of their "unlimited plans" to prevent outages. Privacy laws prevent the firms from saying what is being downloaded, but porn providers...

New iPhone Dazzles, But Battery Fizzles

(Newser) - Lost amid the hoopla over the new iPhone 3GS is an annoying flaw: its battery rarely gets through the day without pooping out. Apple's website now advises users to temporarily shut down certain features, including the 3G network itself, to prolong battery life, reports the Los Angeles Times. Battery life...

EU to Get Universal Phone Chargers by 2010

Plan expected to reduce electronic waste, make life simpler for consumers

(Newser) - Cell phone makers have agreed to introduce a one-size-fits-all charger in the European Union within the next six months, CNN reports. The deal is expected to reduce the tens of thousands of tons of chargers thrown away every year, and should hasten the introduction of a universal charger for the...

Why One Mom Drew the Line at Skype
Why One Mom Drew the Line
at Skype
COMMENTARY
Jun 28, 2009 2:05 PM CDT

Why One Mom Drew the Line at Skype

Technology that brings us together can pull us apart, she writes

(Newser) - Today’s world of cellphones, tweets, and texts makes it possible to stay constantly in touch—but where do we draw the line between contact and privacy, connection and independence? When it comes to family intimacy over distance, that question comes into sharp relief, Peggy Orenstein reflects in the New ...

Don't Go Buy Another iPhone, Just Get OS 3.0
Don't Go Buy Another iPhone, Just Get OS 3.0
tech review
Jun 17, 2009 4:18 PM CDT

Don't Go Buy Another iPhone, Just Get OS 3.0

New model is faster, but upgraded system offers plenty of perks

(Newser) - Apple launched its new iPhone operating system today, two days ahead of the 3G S model, begging the question whether existing users should fork out $200 for new hardware. “Faster circuitry makes a huge difference,” David Pogue writes for the New York Times, though Walt Mossberg, in the...

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